Changed (The Hunters #1)

by Rose J. Bell

  “What’s going on, my sweet?” Aunt Sarah asked Michele, as she took her from Madeleine. Then she looked at Jason, her face serious.

  “Gabriel asks why you are not at work.”

  His mood worsened immediately. “Yes, I’m going.”

  “Where are you going?” Madeleine asked him.

  He waved his hand. “I have to do something for my father. You should come, too.”

  “Do we have to kill a few humans?” she asked.

  Jason looked at her. “Yes. How do you know?”

  “I’ve done it in Germany, too. I know the drill.”

  “Who’s your father?”

  A shadow flashed over her face. “I don’t know.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

  “No, you don’t need to be sorry. I accepted that I don’t have parents.”

  Jason looked at Madeleine. She smiled at him. Somehow, he trusted her even though he only knew Madeleine for a short time. Her smile was honest and friendly. She did not look like a girl that had evil thoughts hidden behind a nice smile.

  He smiled. “I have a father, but wish I didn’t.”

  Madeleine frowned. “You shouldn’t say that, Jason. You should be happy to have a father.”

  “If you knew Gabriel, you wouldn’t say that.” Then he sighed. “Whatever. I have to find Marco and Philip. They’ll help us.” She nodded.

  He went down to the gym, followed by Madeleine. Marco was Jason’s age and one of his best friends. Philip was already there.

  “Hey, Marco. How are you?” Jason asked him, as he and Madeleine entered the room.

  Marco turned around. He smiled broadly.

  “Oh, hey, Jase. Fine, you?” he said.

  “Haven’t seen you for long time, bro,” Jason said and embraced his friend.

  Marco was very tall and stocky. He had short brown hair and golden eyes. He would seem extremely frightening because of his size and muscle, if it weren’t for his gentle smile and kind eyes. Marco was a quiet guy, someone you couldn’t provoke easily, but when he was provoked, he could kill in seconds without hesitation.

  “Marco, this is Madeleine. She’s from Germany and will be helping us in our jobs,” Jason introduced her to Marco. “And this is Marco, my best buddy.”

  She smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” he replied and shook her hand.

  “Guys, there is something we have to do,” Jason declared to Marco and Philip.

  Marco groaned. “Not again. How many humans do we have to kill? And why doesn’t he do it?” Rage sparkled in his eyes.

  Jason shrugged. “He doesn’t want to do the dirty work. The dirty jobs are always for the Nephilim.”

  “Is it the same Germany?” Marco asked Madeleine.

  She nodded. “Sure. I think it’s the same everywhere.”

  The three boys nodded. “Then let’s go and get our hands dirty,” Jason said bitterly.

  “Jason, sorry, but your father is an asshole,” Marco said.

  “Tell me something I don’t already know.”

  Rosa knocked at the door and waited. After a few seconds, the door opened and Matt stood before her. The urge to talk with Matt was just too huge to ignore it. So Rosa went to him, even though she knew their relationship was not the same anymore.

  She smiled weakly. “Hi, Matt.”

  He said nothing, but stepped aside and gave Rosa room to step by. When she faced him, the look etched into his features made it hard to bear. She needed him to say something.

  “Matt, please say something,” Rosa nearly begged.

  He looked at her with his blue eyes. Something was different in his eyes. Rosa didn’t know what it was.

  “What do you want me to say?” asked Matt. His voice was soft and fragile.

  Rosa didn’t know herself, what she wanted to hear from him.

  She shrugged slightly. “Perhaps you tell me that we are still friends?” she suggested.

  Matt took a deep breath. Then he went out and closed the door behind him.

  “Do you have a key?” Rosa asked him.

  “Mason’s at home,” he replied, and guided Rosa to the corner where the dustbins stood.

  Not a particularly pleasant place to talk, Rosa thought.

  They were in the shadow and nobody could see them. Rosa leaned against the wall because she had no more strength to rely on her crutches. The wall felt pleasantly cold and rough. She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the silence.

  “Rosa,” she heard Matt saying. She opened her eyes and looked at him. His face was hidden in the shadow, but she could see his facial expression.

  “I’ve been thinking about what you said,” he began. Rosa’s heart began to beat faster. She prepared herself for his answer. He began to knead his fingers, which he always did when he was nervous.

  “I’d love for us to be together, even if that means I would risk being killed. I’d take that risk. But you don’t love and,” he stopped and bit his lip

  She folded her arms across her chest, because she didn’t know what else to do with them.

  “And I think we shouldn’t see one another for a while,” he finished his sentence, looking at her.

  Rosa frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Matt took a deep breath. “I mean that we shouldn’t see each other anymore.”

  Her heart jumped. She had lost her best friend. “No, Matt, please.”

  Anger flashed in his eyes. “Then can you tell me how I can be near you, when I’m in love with you, but you’re not in love with me? I cannot bear that!” he said.

  Rosa said nothing. What could she say?

  He pressed his thumb and forefinger on the bridge of his noise.

  “I can’t suppress my feelings. I have to get along with the whole situation first,” he told her.

  She nodded. “Of course.”

  Then they faced each other in silence. Rosa had so many emotions running through her. She had no idea she could feel so much.

  Why did I ask him if he loves me at all?

  If she hadn’t asked him, they wouldn’t be stuck in this situation right now. Everything would be all right between them.

  “Did you hear what happened with Madison?” Matt asked her, breaking the silence.

  Rosa froze. She had completely forgotten about Madison. She decided not to tell Matt that she had killed her.

  “What about her?” Rosa asked, and was glad her voice sounded normal.

  “She was a mermaid, and she was killed.”

  “Oh.”

  Matt frowned. “Do you know anything about that?”

  She shook her head, and she felt the blush spreading from her neck to her face. Fortunately, they were standing in the shade.

  Not that bad of a place after all, she thought.

  “No, I don’t know anything about it.”

  “Poor Madison. She was too young to die.”

  Rosa nodded. She felt the guilt rising in her. Actually, she didn’t feel any guilt when she was killing these creatures.

  But it was different with Madison.

  “You’re right,” she agreed with him.

  “You know–” Suddenly, Matt was seized by a violent trembling. His voice broke, and his body trembled for a few seconds.

  Rosa approached to him. “Matt, are you okay?” she asked anxiously.

  And just as quickly, the shaking was gone, and he remained a few seconds with his head bowed.

  Rosa shook him. “Matt? Say something!” she said. “What’s going on?”

  Rosa became scared. Matt was standing there with his head bowed and said nothing. It was as if he were dead.

  Then he raised his head and looked at her. Rosa drew back a little. His eyes were narrowed to slits. His expression had changed. It was no longer angry or hurt, but ... empty.

  Rosa took a step forward. “Matt?” Her voice was filled with concern.

  “I have to go,” he replied, and rushed past her disappearing ar
ound the corner. Rosa hobbled after him and called his name, but he did not turn around. He disappeared into the house.

  She was so confused.

  What just happened?

  His voice had changed. It was no longer gentle, but so rough and monotonous. Rosa laid her face in her hands.

  What is going on with him?

  Questions, questions, and no answers. This was too much for Rosa.

  No, Rosa. Get a rip! You cannot collapse now. You have a job to do, said her inner voice again.

  “You know what; you’re getting on my nerves,” Rosa said to her inner voice. “Why are you always telling me things that I don’t want to hear?” She waited for a response, but didn’t get one.

  Then she realized who she was talking to... herself! She just shook her head.

  “Now I’m completely crazy. I’m talking to myself. Yes, Rosa, it’s going uphill with you,” she muttered to herself. She took her crutches and walked to her car.

  Jason kicked the door with a hard kick.

  The wooden door shattered into small pieces. The four Nephilim entered the wood hut. Jason looked around. Everything was made of wood, the walls, floor, tables, chairs—everything.

  The residents were sitting at small wooden tables, and certainly looked scared and startled. Jason put on his poker face. They shouldn’t realize he did not want to do this.

  There were three people. All male. They looked the same: thin and dirty. Jason estimated them to be around his age. They looked more dead than alive.

  Jason took a step forward and smiled. “I apologize that we have just burst into your house, but they say: Nephilim have no manners.”

  The black-haired boy stood up and looked at them.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked harshly.

  Jason was still smiling. He went into the corner and picked up a wooden chair. He threw it against the wall where it shattered into pieces. The three young boys winced.

  “I have to say you humans have no manners, either. Is this the way you welcome a guest?” Jason asked.

  The boy swallowed. “What do you want?” he repeated his question, his voice shaking.

  Jason didn’t want to, but the boy left him no choice. With a growl, he flashed in front of him, punching him in the face, and slamming him against the wall, grabbing him by the throat. The boy struggled; however, he was too thin and too weak.

  Jason squeezed, drawing his face closer to the boy. He was gasping for air. He looked anxiously at Jason.

  “Your mother didn’t teach you manners, did she?” Jason said, shaking his head. “Bad Mother.”

  “Do not say anything against my mother!” the boy shouted.

  Jason raised an eyebrow. “And if I do? What will you do then?”

  The boy didn’t answer. Jason knew the boy could not harm him.

  “You demonstrated against the government, right?” said Jason. The boy did not answer.

  Jason hit his head back against the wall. Blood began to run from his nose.

  “Answer me when I ask you a question!” Jason shouted.

  “I don’t have to answer anything,” he replied with hostility toward Jason.

  Jason sighed. “You know, sometimes it’s not good to be snappy.” The boy looked at him quizzically.

  “Because then this might just happen.”

  Jason hit him full force in the face. The boy fell to the ground and remained motionless.

  Jason turned toward the other two.

  Smiling gently, he say, “Well, if you don’t want that happen to you, you should admit you have demonstrated against the government.”

  He could see they were scared and were not sure whether they should admit it or not. Ultimately, they nodded slowly.

  Jason clapped his hands. “That’s all I wanted to know.”

  He walked over to them and leaned forward. He clucked his tongue.

  “And I think you also know what that means, right?” he asked quietly. They didn’t answer, but he could read in their eyes that they knew what was coming.

  “Rebellion against the government is punishable by death,” said Jason and straightened up.

  “We have fought for a better life. Do you Nephilim know how we humans live?” asked the blond-haired boy. Jason turned toward him.

  He had once been a very attractive young man. Hopelessness was all you could see in his green eyes.

  “How do you live?” Jason wanted to know.

  The blond boy made an expansive gesture. “Look at where we live. We do not have a proper roof over our heads. We have no hot water. No shower. No bed. How do you think we live?” he asked.

  “Well, I think it isn’t so bad here,” said Marco, looking around.

  The blond boy laughed. “Yes, I expected you would say that, as you know nothing about this life, because you have everything. You all are spoiled little assholes.”

  “Watch what you say!” Philip growled, taking a step closer to the boy. Jason held his arm out.

  “Calm down, Phil,” Jason said quietly. Philip gave a growl and turned away.

  “We’re at war with the hunters. It’s normal that you have to live like this,” said Jason to them.

  The blond boy snorted. “War! And why do you not live like us? Why must always the ones suffer that have nothing to do with this war? Those who started the war do not suffer like the others. War is brutal and senseless.”

  Jason frowned and looked at the blond boy for a moment in silence. He had to admit the boy was right. Before Jasmine was abducted, Jason never thought about the war. He didn’t really care and only obeyed the orders of the archangels. Now, with the abduction of his sister, Jason understood what war really meant, and that he should have thought about the war and his role in it.

  This war was brutal and senseless.

  Millions of people were killed just because rulers couldn’t decide who was more powerful. Instead of arranging a compromise with one another, they reach for weapons, shooting wildly around them, to show how powerful they are.

  “Do you know how many of our friends died just because of your senseless war?” the blond boy asked.

  “The war isn’t futile,” Philip replied angrily. “It shows how much power we have.”

  “And what do you want to achieve with that?”

  “Power has a huge role in the world. All over the world everyone thrives to have power.”

  The blond boy shook his head. “But that doesn’t mean you had to start a war with the hunters.”

  Madeleine, who had said nothing yet, took a step forward, and nodded.

  “He’s right,” she said.

  Everyone in the room looked surprise at Madeleine.

  “What do you mean?” Jason asked her.

  She looked at him. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

  “We, Nephilim, carry out the war of archangels between the hunters. We have no problem with the hunters.”

  “Of course we do,” Philip objected. She turned to him.

  “And what?”

  “They steal our power. They want the talismans. They’re killing our kind,” he explained and folded his arms across his chest.

  “Yes, they do it because we do it. One of us has to stop this war. Maybe if we didn’t attack them anymore, maybe they wouldn’t attack us.”

  Philip snorted. “And if the archangel listened to you and ceased to fight against the hunters, how would you get the hunters to stop fighting?“

  Madeleine nodded. “You’re right. The archangel wouldn’t do what I tell them. But,” she emphasized the ‘but’, “the other Nephilim will listen to us. The archangels are only using us. We are their servants, but we have to stop it. We have to show them they can’t do anything they want to us. We need to rebel just like the humans — along with the humans!”

  All three Nephilim looked at her. No one knew what to say.

  Jason agreed with Madeleine. He had often thought about rebelling against the archangels, but his father knew his secret. It was too da
ngerous for him.

  “What you’re saying doesn’t make any sense,” said Philip. “And the idea is crap.”

  Madeleine smiled charmingly.

  “Do you think so, Philip?” She walked up to him and stopped before him. She fixed her eyes on his.

  “Why don’t you dare to rebel against the archangels? Are you afraid of them?” she asked softly, her eyes sparkling.

  Philip glared at her. “I’m not afraid!” he growled.

  Her smile turned to a grin. She came up very close to him. Their faces were only a few inches apart, and she put her hand on his cheek.

  “How does it feel, Philip?” she asked. “How does it feel when a girl touches you?”

  Jason stared at Madeleine. He had a premonition, that somehow Madeleine knew Philip was gay.

  But from who?

  Except for him and Marco, no one knew Philip was gay, and it was supposed to stay that way. If Archangel Michael would find out, Philip would be dead, just like Jason would if his secret were revealed. They both had a secret that would bring their death.

  Philip struck Madeleine’s hand, and looked at her angrily.

  “What the fuck?” he hissed. “How do you know?”

  His golden eyes flashed angrily. If Madeleine provoked him further, Philip would lose his temper. Jason knew this, so he intervened. He stepped between Madeleine and Philip.

  “What’s your point?” Jason asked her.

  Her eyes darted to him. A smile reflected on her lips.

  “He has a secret that Michael isn’t allowed to know.” She looked him straight in the eye. “Just like you, Jason.”

  There was silence. It seemed as if the earth stood still. Jason looked Madeleine in the eye. She was still grinning.

  “How do you know?” Jason asked angrily.

  She clicked her tongue. “That’s not important. What’s important is that you can be blackmailed by your father because he knows about your secret.”

  “How do you know that?” Jason repeated his question between clenched teeth. He had to know she knew.

  She rolled her eyes. “Let’s say a little bird told me.”

  Philip loomed before her, his face contorted with rage. “What game are you playing here, you bitch?” he hissed.

  Madeleine backed away from him. “I’m not playing any games with you. I’m just stating facts. You can’t let them oppress you both.”